RE: [Leica] R8 Investments (was Re: M6 Fugue)

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

On this point I think you are absolutely correct - the auto-everythings do
breed laziness and bad habits. Frankly, the thing that I like most about the
M is that it makes me THINK - Think about what's inside those little frame
lines; think about what's outside those little frame lines; think about
whether I want what's inside the lines outside, or what's outside inside;
think about whether I want more or less depth of field; think about whether
or not I want to stop or slow the action; think about how which shot to take
next because I can't just hold down the shutter release and fire off a
clip - er, roll......

HOWEVER...We live in an auto world, and for a reflex camera to compete, it
either has to be much less expensive than the autoeverythings, or be
autoeverything and then some....

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Jeffcoat
Photography
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 10:19 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] R8 Investments (was Re: M6 Fugue)


It's the think photographer's camera. Not a very expensive point and shoot.
Cheers Wilber
I'll grant you there are times that auto everything is nice. but I find my
self doing a
better job as I take my time to do it right and not play the law of
averages. Shoot 36 and
there is bound to be one in there someplace. I had that F5 for a yr and I'm
still trying
to break all the bad habits that I got while using it.

Mitch Halpern wrote:

> I would agree that the M6 is in its own unique niche. Despite the growing
> number of rangefinders in the market (G2, Hexar, Voigtlander etc.), the
> M6 is still the "gold standard". In fact, according to the resident Leica
> afficionado at ye olde local pro camera shop, the demand for the M6 has
> been growing by leaps and bounds (potential interesting case of
> cross-marketing effects: increased attention being paid to the new
rangefinders causes
> people to look at the M6 more seriously).
>
> Unfortunately, the R8 does not really have such a niche. It is
> undoubtedly an excellent camera (the viewfinder is quite nice...), but has
to
> compete more strongly with the F5, EOS-1*, Contax etc.  Though the cost of
the
> R8 body is not outrageous compared to the F5, etc. it is not autofocus and
> lacks some "features" that make marketing difficult. In addition, the
> lenses are extraordinarily expensive compared to the competition. While
one
> can argue about the relative quality of the Leica optics vs. other optics,
> the market still holds N and C in high esteem.
>
> What Leitz needs to do is find some way of more clearly differentiating
> the R series from other SLRs while (perhaps) lowering prices somewhat
> without affecting quality.
>
> How would you folks differentiate the R8, if at all?
>
> Mitch

- --
Cheers Wilber GFE
tel. 803-469-2440

http://www.jeffcoatphotography.com